Gas diffusion layer for metal-air battery, method of manufacturing the same, and metal-air battery including the same

Abstract

A gas diffusion layer for a metal-air battery, the gas diffusion layer including: a porous layer including non-conductive fiber structures, a conductive carbon layer including a carbon material that is disposed on a surface of a non-conductive fiber structure of the plurality of non-conductive fiber structures.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A gas diffusion layer for a metal-air battery, the gas diffusion layer comprising:
 a porous layer comprising
 a plurality of non-conductive fiber structures; and 
 a plurality of adhesive layers and a plurality of conductive carbon layers, wherein each of the plurality of adhesive layers and each of the plurality of conductive carbon layers is disposed on a surface of each non-conductive fiber structure of the plurality of non-conductive fiber structures, 
 
 wherein each conductive carbon layer of the plurality of conductive carbon layers comprises a carbon material, 
 wherein an adhesive layer of the plurality of adhesive layers is disposed on the surface of each non-conductive fiber structure and a conductive carbon layer of the plurality of conductive carbon layers is disposed directly on a surface of the adhesive layer, and 
 wherein the adhesive layer bonds the conductive carbon layer to the surface of each non-conductive fiber structure, 
 wherein a thickness of the conductive carbon layer is equal to or greater than about 1% and less than or equal to about 10% of an average thickness of the non-conductive fiber structure and 
 wherein the plurality of adhesive layers and the plurality of conductive carbon layers are alternately disposed 5 to 20 times on the surface of each non-conductive fiber structure, and the gas diffusion layer has a resistivity of less than 6,000 ohms per square. 
 
     
     
       2. The gas diffusion layer of  claim 1 , wherein a non-conductive fiber structure of the plurality of non-conductive fiber structures has a shape comprising a curvilinear shape, a rectilinear shape, or a combination thereof, and
 wherein an air gap is defined by the shape of the plurality of non-conductive fiber structures. 
 
     
     
       3. The gas diffusion layer of  claim 1 , wherein a non-conductive fiber structure of the plurality of non-conductive fiber structures comprises a polymer fiber, cellulose, a glass fiber, or a combination thereof. 
     
     
       4. The gas diffusion layer of  claim 1 , wherein the porous layer is in a form of a woven fabric, a non-woven fabric, a mesh, or a combination thereof comprising the plurality of non-conductive fiber structures. 
     
     
       5. The gas diffusion layer of  claim 1 , wherein the carbon material comprises a carbon fiber, a carbon nanotube, a carbon-polymer complex, or graphene nano plate (GNP). 
     
     
       6. The gas diffusion layer of  claim 1 , wherein the carbon material comprised in the conductive carbon layer is uniformly disposed along a surface of a non-conductive fiber structure of the plurality of non-conductive fiber structures. 
     
     
       7. The gas diffusion layer of  claim 6 , wherein the conductive carbon layer further comprises a dispersant configured to disperse the carbon material. 
     
     
       8. The gas diffusion layer of  claim 7 , wherein the dispersant comprises polystyrene sulfonate, poly(4-styrenesulfonic acid), polyvinyl pyrrolidone, polyethylene glycol oleyl ether, polyoxyethylene stearyl ether, polyoxyethylene nonylphenyl ether, poly(ethylene glycol)-block-poly(propylene glycol)-block-poly(ethylene glycol), poly(propylene glycol)-block-poly(ethylene glycol)-block-poly(propylene glycol), polyethylene-block-poly(ethylene glycol), polyoxyethylene isooctylcyclohexyl ether, octylphenol ethoxylate, cetylpyridinium chloride, cetyltrimethylammonium bromide, cetyltrimethylammonium chloride, or a combination thereof. 
     
     
       9. The gas diffusion layer of  claim 1 , further comprising a metal layer disposed along a surface of the conductive carbon layer. 
     
     
       10. The gas diffusion layer of  claim 1 , further comprising a conductive polymer layer disposed along a surface of the conductive carbon layer. 
     
     
       11. The gas diffusion layer of  claim 1 , wherein the adhesive layer comprises polyvinyl alcohol, polyvinylpyrrolidone, polyaniline, poly(diallyldimethylammonium chloride), poly(ethylene oxide), poly(ethylene imine), poly(allylamine hydrochloride), poly(acrylic acid), tetrafluoroethylene-perfluoro-3,6-dioxa-4-methyl-7-octenesulfonic acid copolymer, or a combination thereof. 
     
     
       12. The gas diffusion layer of  claim 5 , wherein the carbon material comprises a carbon nanotube or a graphene nano plate. 
     
     
       13. A method of manufacturing the gas diffusion layer for a metal-air battery of  claim 1 , the method comprising:
 disposing an adhesive layer on the surface of each non-conductive fiber structure of the plurality of non-conductive fiber structures; and 
 contacting the adhesive layer with the carbon material to form the conductive carbon layer comprising the carbon material on the surface of each non-conductive fiber structure to manufacture the gas diffusion layer. 
 
     
     
       14. The method of  claim 13 , further comprising combining the carbon material, a dispersant, and a solvent to uniformly disperse the carbon material. 
     
     
       15. The method of  claim 13 , wherein the adhesive layer comprises polyvinyl alcohol, poly(vinylpyrrolidone), polyaniline, poly(diallyldimethylammonium chloride), poly(ethylene oxide), poly(ethylene imine), poly(allylamine hydrochloride), poly(acrylic acid), tetrafluoroethylene-perfluoro-3,6-dioxa-4-methyl-7-octenesulfonic acid copolymer, or a combination thereof. 
     
     
       16. The method of  claim 14 , wherein the dispersant comprises polystyrene sulfonate, poly(4-styrenesulfonic acid), polyvinylpyrrolidone, polyethylene glycol oleyl ether, polyoxyethylene stearyl ether, polyoxyethylene nonylphenyl ether, poly(ethylene glycol)-block-poly(propylene glycol)-block-poly(ethylene glycol), poly(ethylene glycol)-block-poly(propylene glycol)-block-poly(ethylene glycol), poly(propylene glycol)-block-poly(ethylene glycol)-block-poly(propylene glycol), polyethylene-block-poly(ethylene glycol), polyoxyethylene isooctylcyclohexyl ether, octylphenol ethoxylate, cetylpyridinium chloride, cetyltrimethylammonium bromide, cetyltrimethylammonium chloride, or a combination thereof. 
     
     
       17. The method of  claim 13 , wherein the disposing of the adhesive layer and the contacting of adhesive layer with the carbon material are repeatedly performed to provide plurality of adhesive layers and a plurality of conductive carbon layers that are alternately arranged. 
     
     
       18. A metal-air battery comprising:
 a negative electrode comprising a metal; 
 a positive electrode comprising a positive electrode layer comprising a catalyst and a gas diffusion layer for the metal-air battery; and 
 an electrolyte between the negative electrode and the positive electrode, 
 wherein the gas diffusion layer comprises: 
 a porous layer comprising
 a plurality of non-conductive fiber structures; and 
 a plurality of adhesive layers a plurality of conductive carbon layers, wherein each of the plurality of adhesive layers and each of the plurality of conductive carbon layers is disposed directly on a surface of each non-conductive fiber structure of the plurality of non-conductive fiber structures; and 
 a plurality of conductive carbon layers, 
 wherein each of the plurality of conductive carbon layers comprises a carbon material, and 
 
 wherein an adhesive layer of the plurality of adhesive layers is disposed on the surface of each non-conductive fiber structure and a conductive carbon layer of the plurality of conductive carbon layers is disposed on the adhesive layer, 
 wherein the adhesive layer bonds the conductive carbon layer to the surface of each non-conductive fiber structure, 
 wherein a thickness of the conductive carbon layer is equal to or greater than about 1% and less than or equal to about 10% of an average thickness of the non-conductive fiber structure and
 wherein the plurality of adhesive layers and the plurality of conductive carbon layers are alternately disposed 5 to 20 times on the surface of each non-conductive fiber structure, and the gas diffusion layer has a resistivity of less than 6,000 ohms per square. 
 
 
     
     
       19. The metal-air battery of  claim 18 , wherein porosity of the gas diffusion layer is equal to or greater than about 70 vol %. 
     
     
       20. The metal-air battery of  claim 18 , wherein a weight per unit area of the gas diffusion layer is less than or equal to about 2 mg/cm 2 . 
     
     
       21. The metal-air battery of  claim 18 , wherein electrical conductivity of the gas diffusion layer is equal to or greater than about 200 S/m. 
     
     
       22. The metal-air battery of  claim 18 , wherein the conductive carbon layer comprises a conformal layer along a contour of the non-conductive fiber structure.